Chicago Bears Stadium: What's next for Hammond, Arlington Heights and Chicago?

While the Chicago Bears’ stadium saga took another turn on Friday, it’s still not over.

The team is down to just two sites for a new stadium: Arlington Heights and Hammond, Indiana. The Bears said the franchise’s board of directors voted to move forward with stadium plans in Hammond, Indiana.

However, statements from Illinois lawmakers have made it clear the door is still open for the Bears to build in Arlington Heights.

Here’s what is next for the Bears’ stadium efforts in the three most discussed sites: Chicago, Arlington Heights and Hammond, Indiana. 

Chicago

Illinois lawmakers and politicians are still holding on hope the team will not leave the state for Northwest Indiana.

"It’s also not surprising that Bears officials have stated this vote does not mean a move to Hammond is a done deal," Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said in a statement. "Without a final site selection, until we see shovels in the ground in Hammond, the City will continue to engage in discussions grounded in the interests of our residents."

As of early June, and for the foreseeable future, the Bears will not be pursuing any avenue to build a stadium in the city of Chicago.

The team made this clear after legislators brought up Mayor Brandon Johnson’s discussions with representatives. When asked about the discussions between the Bears and the city of Chicago, the team’s statement definitively said there were no longer any available avenues for a lakefront stadium or stadium within the city limits.

However, in April, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the Bears’ two options in Chicago – Soldier Field and the Michael Reese hospital site – were not viable options. Returning to Soldier Field is not an option for political reasons while Schefter also reported the NFL itself reviewed and rejected the Michael Reese site. 

What they're saying:

"The Chicago Bears have exhausted every opportunity to stay in Chicago which was our initial goal," the Bears wrote in a statement. "There is not a viable site in the city. As a result, the only sites under consideration are in Arlington Heights and Hammond."

Arlington Heights

If the Bears want to remain in Illinois, their only option is in Arlington Heights.

The Bears stressed that in their statement, but it’s also the only realistic avenue because the franchise owns the 326 acres it purchased in 2023. The Bears don’t need to lease the land, or rent the stadium like they do with the Chicago Park District and Soldier Field.

The biggest hold up comes politically. 

According to a team consultant report released in the fall of 2025, the Bears said the state will need to pay about $855 million in infrastructure costs to improve the roads and sewer systems for the former Arlington Racecourse site. The team is willing to pay $2 billion of its own money for actual construction of the new stadium.

The Bears have wanted state lawmakers to pass legislation that would essentially allow the team to negotiate a significant reduction in its property taxes. An analysis by the Cook County Treasurers of the version of the bill passed by the House of Representatives found that the legislation could help the Bears save tens of millions of dollars a year in property taxes.

However, the Bears would need Illinois legislation to pass the megaprojects bill that’s been debated for the better part of a year. Illinois legislative session ended earlier this week without passing the megaprojects bill, which changed shape drastically at the 11th hour. 

If that bill were to be passed this summer, it would require a special legislative session to deliberate and discuss the legislation.

It’s unclear if Illinois lawmakers will hold a special legislative session to take further action after Friday's announcement that the team is advancing with its stadium project in Hammond, Indiana.

What they're saying:

"The Bears have built a storied legacy in Illinois for over 100 years but have spent the last six years, and especially the last few months, shifting their position on a stadium location," Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker said in a statement Friday. "That has hindered their progress. Today appears to be another instance of that after Illinois leaders have been working with the Bears in good faith. Governor Pritzker has always been clear that he wants the Bears to stay in Illinois and still remains open to a sensible solution that protects taxpayers."

"For our ownership to step up, to lean into paying the cost for the stadium, and all we need is property tax certainty," Bears CEO and president Kevin Warren said on Aug. 8, 2025. "We're not trying to avoid paying taxes, we absolutely will pay taxes -- but we want to just have certainty. What this Mega Project property tax bill allows you to do is it allows a company like to Bears to negotiate with local taxing authorities -- school boards, school districts -- to be able to set the certain amount of taxes that should be paid."

Hammond, Indiana

The Bears did announce their intentions to move forward with Hammond, Indiana, as it’s the first time since the stadium saga began in 2021 where it’s become likely the team will actually move out of state to play its home games.

While the announcement shocked the NFL world, it still leaves a few questions unanswered. The first comes in the words from the Bears themselves. 

"The Chicago Bears Board of Directors met and voted to advance our stadium development project in Hammond, Indiana, with the exact site to be selected," Bears President and CEO Kevin Warren and Bears Chairman George McCaskey said in a joint statement on Friday.

"With the exact site to be selected" is the key phrase. The Bears originally said they were doing their due diligence on an area of land near Wolf Lake in Hammond, Indiana.

That specific plot of land sits around 340 acres. It’s slightly bigger than the area of land the Bears purchased in Arlington Heights. However, the Bears’ statement leaves the door open to build elsewhere in Northwest Indiana if they find an area of land they deem fit.

Much has been made about the Wolf Lake site, too. The Chicago Tribune reported about concerns regarding the area being built on a slag heap.

A slap heap is defined as a large pile of material that is left when rocks that contain metal are heated to get the metal out, which is where environmental concerns exist in building a new stadium in Indiana.

What does exist is public funding. Indiana lawmakers have approved about $1 billion in public funding for a Bears’ new stadium. 

What they're saying:

"We look forward to building a partnership as strong as the '85 Bears defense, creating opportunities and economic growth that will benefit our state and the Bears organization for decades to come. An NFL franchise in Northwest Indiana will be an economic boost to the entire region like we haven’t seen before," Indiana Gov. Mike Braun said in a statement.

BearsSports